NYPD: Officers on the ground in Atlanta as they close in on identity of murder suspect

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ATLANTA — New York Police Department confirmed Saturday night that officers are on the ground in Atlanta in connection to the murder of a health insurance executive.

NYPD said the officers are here to help as needed. Friday, Atlanta Police Department announced it is jumping in on the investigation after photos of the suspect’s face surfaced.

“When and if they identify exactly who the subject is, they will conduct potential search warrants, talk to friends, families, try to figure out a motivation, try to figure out next places this person could go,” said Marc Benjamin.

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Benjamin retired for the FBI as a Supervisory Special Agent in the Atlanta Field Office. He said the FBI is involved because the case involves travel across multiple states.

Investigators believe the suspect boarded a Greyhound bus from Atlanta to New York where he shot United Healthcare’s CEO Brian Thompson 10 days later.

Thompson was scheduled to be in the New York for an investor conference.

The words “deny,” “defend” and “depose” were scrawled on the ammunition, two law enforcement officials told the AP on Thursday. The messages mirror the phrase “delay, deny, defend,” which is commonly used by lawyers and critics about insurers that delay payments, deny claims, and defend their actions.

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“There are certainly other ways to go about showing your disgust for any system,” said Benjamin.

He said the lack of enthusiasm from some online is noticeable. However, the FBI raised the reward for turning in the killer to $50,000 Saturday morning.

“I expect that we’ll see a lot of citizens come forward and offer any assistance that they can,” said Benjamin.

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